Skullcandy headphones often seem like a victory of style over substance, but the company continues to improve the audio performance of its lineup. With the Navigator, we have a budget-friendly pair that finally offers quality, clean sound to match the brand's cool styling. Like the Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator before them, the Navigator resembles a pair of Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses, but at $99.95 (direct), it's more affordable. Deep bass is delivered distortion-free, and though the Navigator lacks the added treble edge that helps vocals, guitars, or strings stand out, the overall performance is solid. Those who like cool sunglasses and deep bass—but not overwhelming portions of it—are encouraged to read on.

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DesignThe snazzy Navigator features a housing for the drivers that looks similar to the lens of the famous Aviator sunglasses, while the earpads are plush, comfortable, and branded with a cut-out Skullcandy logo—which is, you guessed it, a stylized skull. The headband is also padded, but can get slightly uncomfortable over long listening periods. Adjusting the fit is easy, with the housings sliding up or down along a metallic-colored band.

Like many headphones today, the Navigator folds down for compact storage. A black drawstring protective pouch is included, but the inside of it isn't ideal. The soft black felt material lining sheds just enough that if you move your hand around inside it for a few seconds, it comes out coated in black lint—the same is true for your headphones. This may change over time, but it was a turn-off that made the bag less useful at the outset.

On the upside, the audio cable is detachable. This adds tremendous value to the Navigator's already-reasonable price, as cables are typically the first thing to malfunction when headphones stop working—replacing a cable is a lot cheaper than replacing the whole thing, or sending it in for repair.

The cable includes in-line controls and a microphone for mobile devices—you can control playback and volume, as well as answer and end calls. Call clarity is more or less par for the course—you can understand your call partner and they will understand you, but call clarity on mobile devices remains weak pretty much across the board, and there's little the microphone and drivers on this or any other pair of headphones can do to improve the situation.

PerformanceThe audio performance of the Navigator is impressive for this price range. The overall balance is definitely focused on the lows and low-mid frequencies, but it delivers everything clearly and cleanly. Even at maximum volume (an unsafe listening level, by the way) on the Knife's "Silent Shout," a track with challenging low frequencies that often distorts on $100-range headphones, the Navigator did not distort at all, nor did it become a muddy mess. The synth kick drum hits are powerful, and at high volumes, noticeably vibrate the headphones, but the audio was unaffected. At more moderate levels, the low end is still delivered with intensity, and the overall mix is still articulate, though it seems to lack a lot of punch in the high-mids and highs.

Bill Callahan's baritone vocals on "Drover" are delivered with slightly less treble edge than I'm used to hearing. This doesn't mean the vocals get lost in the mix, nor does the mix feel overly muddy, but the overall sound could use a bit more high-mid frequency presence.

The kick drum loop on Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild", however, has enough treble punch to highlight the attack of the hit, which is nicely complimented by the deep bass synth hits underneath the loop. So, the higher frequency edge of some vocals, depending on who's singing and how they were recorded, may lack some bite, but it's not an exclusive rule—the kick on this track has plenty of high-mid punch on its attack, and even the vocals seem a bit more present.

On classical tracks like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the lower register strings are represented quite nicely. Sometimes, headphones that emphasize deep bass, like Beats by Dr. Dre Wireless, add so much low-end punch that the lower register strings, brass, and percussion sound almost amplified and unnatural. The big drum hits at the end of this song have just the right amount of low end presence—nothing too over-the-top, but they definitely have some depth to them. The higher register strings and wooden percussion are a bit less bright and present than they could be, but things remain generally clear, despite the slightly less crisp approach.

If a slightly brighter, crisper edge is what you seek, without going overboard, the Bowers & Wilkins P3is comparatively slightly brighter (and more expensive), while remaining far more neutral than many competing pairs that pump up both the bass and the treble. If booming bass is what you want, the Navigator offers a solid dose, but more can always be had: Check out the recent Logitech UE 6000 if that's what you're looking for. And if your budget tops out below, say, $100, I'm sorry to say that there aren't a ton of excellent options as we descend lower down the price chain, but the $60 RHA SA950i is a solid pair with some serious bass. For $100, however, the Skullcandy Navigator brings deep bass, keeps it in check, and does so in style.

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